Chapter 6: The Investigation of Suspicions Begins

The morning after President Kurumizawa visited the Disciplinary Committee Room.

I was walking to school by myself, but—

"...Hm?"

At the edge of the school gates. A single girl was standing there all alone, looking down and gripping the edge of her skirt.

While the students around her continuously passed through the gates, she didn't try to take a single step.

Looking closer—it was Shibayama Ichika.

A girl in my class who had messed up somehow around late April and got suspended. It seemed today was her first day back.

The reason was kept under wraps, but in a small box like a school, rumors take on a life of their own even if you stay quiet. There were even fake rumors going around that she was sugar dating, but the truth remained unknown to everyone.

And today—after a blank period of about a month, passing through those gates had to be incredibly awkward.

"Shibayama!"

Before I realized it, I was calling out to her.

"Eh..."

"Morning!"

"E-Er... Good morning..."

Her voice bled with tension.

I tried to make my expression as bright as possible.

"What's wrong? Forget something at home?"

"Ah, no... Well..."

Shibayama's eyes darted around, and she let out a small breath.

"I think you probably know, but... I've been absent for a long time. It's just, kinda hard to go in..."

There was a vulnerability akin to fear seeping into her voice. Whatever the truth was, living with the stigma of a suspension and the staring eyes that followed surely wasn't easy.

Just as I was hesitating over what to say—

"Heeey, Ryogo! Whoa, cutting it super close today, ain'tcha!"

An exceptionally loud voice approached.

I looked back, and sure enough, Ayato was jogging over.

"...Wait, hm? Oh? It's Shibayama. Been a hot minute, huh?"

"E-Ah, yeah... Seki-kun, it's been a while..."

I felt Shibayama's body stiffen slightly.

"Word on the street was you messed up and got suspended, was that for real?"

...Hey, you idiot Ayato! Read the damn room!

Seriously—because he dumped all his stats into his looks, his tact is still at level one.

Said Ayato flashed a wide grin and lightly patted Shibayama on the shoulder.

"Well, whatever, s'all good. Ain't nobody really caring anyway. C'mon, let's haul ass to class, yeah? The bell's gonna ring!"

It was an incredibly flippant way to say it.

But—maybe because of that, I felt like a saving grace was born in the atmosphere.

"Shibayama, why don't you head in with Ayato? I have to drop by the staff room before I go."

I gave Ayato a look, and he grinned and nodded.

"Yep, yep. The demon Disciplinary Committee President himself says so, so you're totally fine. If anything happens, he'll use his absolute authority to protect you!"

...Hold on a second. There are multiple things wrong with that statement.

I thought that, but then I reconsidered—maybe this was fine for now.

"Shibayama, it's just like Ayato says, so you don't need to worry. Just walk into the classroom like normal."

"See? Told ya. C'mon."

"Y-Yeah... Thank you, Seki-kun, and... um... Disciplinary Committee President!"

Led by Ayato, Shibayama jogged toward the student entrance.

Watching their backs, I stood there frozen for a moment.

And then, I screamed in my heart.

—She didn't even remember my naaaaame!

That was a pretty big shock.

Even though we've talked a few times, I guess my presence is just that weak.

At any rate, I was glad Ayato was there. However, since the guy is a natural-born playboy, I'd better nail it into his head later not to make a move on Shibayama.

...Still, it really must be awkward.

Even if it's true that Shibayama was suspended, she was confined to her home for a whole month, so her sins should be fully paid for by now. And yet, for her to lose her place to belong—I still felt sorry for her.

So I have to—.

As the Disciplinary Committee President, and as her classmate, I have to do whatever I can for Shibayama.

†　†　†

"So, Shibayama, about your suspension... there were rumors goin' around that it was 'cause of sugar dating, but what's the actual deal?"

"Eh..."

The moment Shibayama gasped in surprise, I accidentally dropped the bag of bread I was holding.

It was during lunch break. I had brought Shibayama along, and the three of us were eating lunch on the roof. Ayato had suddenly broached the topic out of nowhere, leaving both Shibayama and me completely paralyzed.

"Ayato, that's definitely stepping over the line!"

"Who cares? No matter what Shibayama did, it ain't like we're gonna mind, right?"

"Well, yeah, I guess that's true, but..."

I stole a glance at Shibayama's face. She looked awkward, but she didn't seem angry.

As if choosing her words carefully, she softly opened her mouth.

"...It wasn't sugar dating. The person I liked was older... No, we were properly dating. He was a twenty-four-year-old working adult, but it wasn't sugar dating or anything like that."

"Huh... What about sex?"

...Ayato. You really need to learn how to sugarcoat things.

Though I was exasperated, I was conversely kind of impressed by his sheer lack of hesitation.

Shibayama laughed a little. A faint tinge of nostalgia for the past drifted across her profile.

"I don't know if you'll believe me, but we didn't. We held hands and stuff, but nothing more. He told me that kind of thing should wait until I was a proper adult..."

It seemed like he was a genuinely good boyfriend for Shibayama.

The sticking point was probably the fact that it was a relationship between an adult and a minor under eighteen.

"Whoa, what a waste... If it was me, I'd have been all over you in a heartbeat, y'know?"

"You need to be arrested right this second."

When I lightly shoved Ayato, Shibayama let out a small giggle.

But soon after, her smile clouded over.

"But he was a really good person. I kept it a secret from everyone around me, but... because of this whole thing, my mom and everyone found out, they deleted his contact info, and forced us to break up. And then I got a month of house arrest. ...Pretty heavy, right?"

It was no longer a bitter smile, but self-deprecation.

"That's when I thought about it. Romance gets a line drawn through it by age. I finally, truly understood for the first time... that there's a wall you just can't overcome with your feelings alone."

Shibayama's voice was calm.

However, it seemed the feelings for her ex-boyfriend lingering underneath were still going strong.

I decided to ask about something that had been bothering me.

"By the way... how did the academy find out about it?"

"Eh?"

"You were dating in secret from everyone around you, right? If you hadn't gotten caught, you wouldn't have been suspended."

Shibayama gave a small nod of "Yeah," and then shrugged.

"Someone saw me and him walking together. It was near the love hotel district, so that's probably why it was so bad. And I heard a report went to the academy."

"Ah... but you guys were just passing by, right?"

"Yeah. That was really all there was to it, though."

"I wonder who it was? The person who leaked it."

"I don't know, but... who it was probably doesn't matter much."

That was when Ayato interjected.

"If that's the case, shouldn't ya have just played dumb from the start like, 'I don't know what you're talkin' about'?"

"I did think about that for a bit, but..."

Shibayama offered a bitter smile, letting her gaze wander into the air.

"I stayed quiet at first. But I was interrogated in the Principal's office for about an hour straight... things like, 'Are you telling the truth?' 'What were you doing?' 'What is your relationship?'. That kind of thing is really tough. It gradually starts to feel like you're lying, or something..."

"So you ended up spillin' the truth? Why?"

Prompted by Ayato, Shibayama flashed a soft smile.

"I just felt like... I'd be lying to my own feelings, too... because I truly loved him."

Ayato and I exchanged glances, sporting indescribable expressions.

—I think everything Shibayama said was probably the truth.

The age of her partner, the location—those were likely what had been deemed problematic, but her feeling of "loving" him wasn't something that could be so easily dismissed.

In response to that, a one-month suspension felt overly harsh. I'm sure the academy had their own justifiable reasons for such a severe punishment, but they hadn't even had a physical relationship.

However, there was one thing I couldn't help but wonder about.

Someone saw her, someone reported her—if that was the truth.

Then the academy moved, or was forced to move, because of that "someone's" leak.

...Miyake Ramu was reported via someone's leak too.

The only difference was whether the leak went to the academy or the student council. The point that "someone leaked it" was identical. I had no idea if it was a coincidence or the same person.

Just as Shibayama said, who did it might not be much of an issue, but—.

While I was mulling that over, I suddenly felt a wave of anxiety.

"From now on, Sawa-kun, you are going to guess the color of the panties I am wearing—without looking."

"I'll do everything Ryo-chan wants to do for you—even sex ♡"

Our Disciplinary Committee is harboring two beautiful girls who are absolute megaton-class "landmines."

...I'd better watch my back too. Knock on wood…

†　†　†

After school. I quickly packed up my things and hurried toward the school gates.

I was about to investigate Miyake Ramu—just thinking about it made my footsteps feel incredibly heavy.

Especially after hearing that story from Shibayama during lunch. There was no way I could get pumped for this.

When I arrived at the gates, Fuyutsuki and Mio were already waiting.

"Good work today."

I called out lightly, and Mio trotted over to me, going, "He's here, he's here!"

"Ryo-chan, you have to hear this!"

"Hm? What's up?"

Looking a bit excited, Mio lowered her voice while minding the stares of the people around us.

"So, I asked a girl in my class who's in the student council a few things today, and that 'Romance Ban' thing we talked about yesterday... She said they might actually be pretty serious about it."

"Huh? Really?"

...So Fuyutsuki's read was right on the money.

"Apparently, right after Golden Week, there was a meeting to prepare for the General Student Assembly. During that, President Kurumizawa proposed strengthening the regulations regarding romance."

"...And? Did the proposal go through?"

"It's not finalized yet, but the student council is split right down the middle on it. But I hear the President is pushing it forward pretty aggressively. If anything, they say the draft is already finished..."

I couldn't help but frown.

...The President actually intends to do it.

She's trying to crack down on romance itself through school rules. I'd only ever thought of it as a half-joke up until now.

"She's here."

Fuyutsuki said in a low voice.

When I turned around, I saw Miyake coming out of the student entrance, chatting and laughing with several of her friends.

Honestly, standing right here, I began to hesitate.

Should we really proceed with the investigation exactly as the President intended—?

"What will you do, Sawa-kun. Will you truly investigate Miyake-san's suspicions as material to back up the Romance Ban rule."

I hesitated for a moment—then finally chose my words.

"...We'll investigate Miyake Ramu."

"Ryo-chan..."

Mio's voice wavered just a bit.

"But, not for the student council."

When I stated that clearly, both Mio's and Fuyutsuki's eyes widened.

"We are strictly acting as the Disciplinary Committee to ascertain the truth of the allegations. It would be best if it turned out to be nothing, but if the suspicions are true—well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

As I said that with a wry smile, Mio reluctantly nodded, going "Yeah."

Fuyutsuki—maintained her usual expressionless face, leaving me entirely clueless as to what she was thinking.

However, she neither confirmed nor denied my decision.

†　†　†

The shopping district in front of the station.

Miyake was walking and laughing with her friends.

Keeping our distance, the three of us trailed behind her.

"Hey, Ryo-chan."

Mio unexpectedly whispered in a low voice.

"Let's walk like we're pretending to be a couple ♡ That way we won't look suspicious."

"...Huh?"

"I mean, a boy and a girl just walking normally together would actually look unnatural, right?"

Saying that, Mio softly wrapped herself around my right arm.

"Mio...!"

"Shh... if you make weird movements, we'll get caught, you know? ♡"

Even so, this was unbelievably embarrassing.

The last time I'd walked this close to Mio was back in elementary school, and I couldn't even remember the last time we'd linked arms.

What was different from the past was just how unbelievably soft she was. My elbow was pressing right up against Mio's boobs. Every time it did, a tingling sensation shot from my elbow straight up to my shoulder.

...Guh, so soft.

Just as my heart started pounding violently as I tried desperately not to be conscious of it—

"I suppose it makes logical sense, but—"

Remaining expressionless, Fuyutsuki positioned herself on my other side.

"It can't be helped if it is for the sake of camouflage."

Saying that, even Fuyutsuki grabbed onto my left arm.

Squish—My left elbow pressed into Fuyutsuki's boobs. ...No, wait, this girl was intentionally pressing them against me.

Seeing right through my agitation, Fuyutsuki opened her mouth with a mischievous smile.

"91 centimeters. F-cup."

"I don't need you to self-report that...!"

"Hey! Fuyutsuki-san!"

"Segawa-san, keep quiet. If we get caught, this will all be for nothing."

Being tightly sandwiched from both sides, I was completely immobilized.

There was no way we wouldn't stand out like this, and every single passerby we passed shot us a look that screamed, What's the deal with these three?

"Hey... we're standing out even more now!"

Ignoring my desperate whispers, Mio and Fuyutsuki shot quick glances at each other.

"If Fuyutsuki-san lets go first, I'll let go too."

"Then let go first. Depending on you, Segawa-san, I might not necessarily refuse to let go."

"That means you absolutely have no intention of letting go, right?!"

Even in the midst of this back-and-forth, my elbows were sinking into both of their boobs.

They were insanely soft. I never in my wildest dreams thought the day would come where I'd be sandwiched between an estimated H-cup and a self-reported F-cup, but—this is really bad, right?

"I'm telling you, we're standing out!"

My retort fell on deaf ears, and the grip on both my arms only grew stronger.

†　†　†

For the next few days, we observed Miyake's movements.

To get straight to the point—she lived a lifestyle so normal it was anticlimactic.

She'd split up with her friends in front of the station, take the train, and get off two stops away. From there, she headed straight to a family restaurant. That was Miyake's part-time job, and she brightly served customers out on the floor.

There were days when she'd take a detour, but it was just to pick up some groceries at the 100-yen shop, the supermarket, or the drugstore before heading home. Nothing particularly suspicious.

There was even a time we followed her all the way to the front of her apartment.

It was an old building that had seen many years; the gutters were rusted, and weeds grew along the stairs. And there, was—

"Ah! Welcome back, onee-chan!"

Miyake had a younger sister who looked to be in the upper grades of elementary school.

On that day, she just so happened to be waiting outside the apartment for her older sister to come home.

"I'm hoooome. Also, didn't I tell ya it's dangerous in the evening so you should wait inside?"

"But, you were coming home so late..."

"My bad, my bad. I was shoppin' on the way. I'm gonna whip up some super tasty hamburg steak for us today instead of Mom, alright~"

"Yayyy! I'm gonna help too!"

"A'ight! Let's make it together then, yeah? Let's go inside~"

Miyake took her sister's hand and they walked into their apartment.

—I felt an indescribable tightness in my chest.

The financial situation in the Miyake household might be pretty tight. Seigyo Academy's tuition couldn't be that cheap.

In the midst of all that, she was working a part-time job, looking after her much younger sister, and living a completely normal, average life.

Even if she looked flashy on the outside, would a Miyake who lived such a modest life really be doing something like sugar dating? I really didn't want to think so.

"...I hope this ends without any incidents."

When I unintentionally muttered that out loud, Mio and Fuyutsuki looked at my face.

"Ryo-chan, did you say something just now?"

"Ah, no... it's nothing."

Mio looked puzzled, but Fuyutsuki just stared at me in silence.

—Ultimately.

We investigated Miyake Ramu for a week, excluding the weekend, but there was no sign whatsoever of her sugar dating.

Before I knew it, it was almost June—and the region we lived in had completely entered the rainy season.

†　†　†

"...Maybe she really isn't sugar dating."

After finishing our one-week investigation. Sitting in the family restaurant where Miyake worked, I murmured softly.

The time was 9:30 PM. Outside, the rain continued to fall in a gentle drizzle.

Miyake had finished her shift about thirty minutes ago and gone home. After confirming she had left, we ordered from the drink bar as regular customers and sank into our own thoughts.

"We don't know about the weekend, but at the very least, nothing happened on the weekdays."

Fuyutsuki said quietly.

"Nothing happened on the weekend, either. She was on her shift the entire time from just past noon until night."

"Wait, you were keeping an eye on her over the weekend too? By yourself?"

Without saying a word, Fuyutsuki brought her glass to her lips.

"Fuyutsuki-san, isn't that going a little too far? That's kinda stalker-ish, you know."

Mio said, looking exasperated.

"It was merely an investigation. Besides, you are the stalker, Segawa-san. Try placing a hand on your own chest and asking yourself."

Answering smoothly, Fuyutsuki wasn't fazed in the slightest.

Mio, on the other hand, placed a hand over her chest exactly as she was told, and suddenly smiled like a holy saint.

"It's overflowing with love for Ryo-chan. That's why my heart is telling me that it's perfectly fine to watch over Ryo-chan from behind forever and ever ♡"

...Sc—aaaary! What the hell kind of stalker logic is that?

Does she think anything is forgivable as long as she uses the phrase "watching over"?

Even Fuyutsuki looked at me with a repulsed gaze.

"It's good that you are so deeply loved."

"You don't mean that at all, do you..."

...Anyway, pulling myself back together.

"It's fine if we just cut off Miyake's investigation here, right?"

When I asked the two of them, Fuyutsuki quietly nodded.

"I think there was meaning in just being able to confirm the facts."

"But, you know..."

Mio suddenly let out a few words.

"Miyake-san wasn't doing anything bad at all, was she?"

"Yeah. She gives off the vibe of a slightly flashy gal, but she probably has a good personality too."

"...Then, who sent the email to the student council?"

At Mio's single sentence, the air grew just a little bit quieter. The three of us exchanged looks.

Even though none of us voiced it, we were all definitely thinking the same thing.

—Why was Miyake Ramu targeted?

Who spread rumors about her, and for what purpose?

Our investigation of the allegations had reached a stopping point, but—the real problem was less the allegations themselves, and more the existence of the "someone who fabricated the allegations."

"Are you curious."

Fuyutsuki asked, looking at me.

"Honestly, a little..."

"Then, shall we try digging a little deeper."

Mio gave a troubled, "Eh... we're still going?"

I thought about it for a bit, then shook my head.

"No, let's not get involved any deeper than this. Just knowing that she hasn't done anything is enough for now... Honestly, I'm mentally exhausted."

After all, we just stalked a single girl all because of one single email.

We could see right through the President's motives from the very beginning, and I could feel the intent hiding underneath.

No matter how many pretty words we lined up, there was no way I could puff out my chest and declare it was a "righteous investigation," nor did I believe it was for the sake of justice.

Even so—knowing all of that, we took action.

"...I don't understand."

Suddenly, Fuyutsuki muttered.

"What stance did the two of you have regarding this investigation."

"...Our stance?"

I sent a glance over to Mio.

"What about you, Mio?"

"I guess I just... went along with Ryo-chan's decision. But honestly, I really didn't want to do this. The President was being kinda mean, don't you think? Asking us to do this while hiding the fact that she wanted to add a Romance Ban to the school rules. If she had just told us, I would have happily cooperated way more..."

At that, both Fuyutsuki and I went, "Eh?" and widened our eyes at the exact same time.

"Segawa-san, are you in favor of the Romance Ban."

"Eh? Is that weird?"

"Well... I was certain you would want to date Sawa-kun out in the open..."

"Because if romance is OK, then some girl might show up and try to get close to Ryo-chan, right? If that were to happen, I—"

The next instant, the light completely faded from Mio's eyes, and her pupils dilated.

"I don't know what I'd do to Ryo-chan... or to those girls... ♡"

...Sc—aaaary.

Finally, the fear had completely overwhelmed my feelings of love for Mio.

Word order and predicates are pretty important. "She's scary, but I'm loved and she's cute," has a totally different meaning from, "She's cute and I'm loved, but she's terrifying." In Mio's case, it's blatantly the latter.

...No, that just confirmed it for me. The Romance Ban rule is absolutely necessary.

Though, I honestly felt that rather than being banned by the school, Mio needed to be bound in a straitjacket.

"But you know, even if we can't date because of the school rules, Ryo-chan and I are deeply connected by our hearts ♡ —Riiiiight, Ryo-chan? ♡"

That "Riiiiight" wasn't her seeking my agreement, it was blatantly a "threat."

"A-HA-HA... YES... CON-NEC-TED..."

"...Why are you talking like a robot? Why? Hey, why? ♡"

God knows what would happen if I dated Mio while she was in this state. I didn't have a single millimeter of intent to cheat on her, but one little misunderstanding and BOOM, I'm dead.

As I thought, until Mio returns to her original self, I need to keep up with her rehab (?) and keep a close eye on the situation for just a bit longer.

...Seriously, what the hell even is love and affection?

"And so, what is your stance, Sawa-kun."

"Right. I—"

I suddenly recalled Shibayama Ichika's troubled smile.

"...I guess the biggest reason was that I wanted to confirm it with my own eyes."

Mio tilted her head, asking, "What do you mean?"

"Honestly, I was pretty torn at first. If everything about Miyake was true, it would definitely be a problem, but... just blindly believing what we were told felt kind of wrong."

I stared at the glass in my hands.

"That's why I wanted to see it for myself. What kind of girl Miyake Ramu was. Whether she was truly doing something bad, or not... I wanted to see it with my own eyes and decide for myself."

Mio gently narrowed her eyes.

"But, didn't you end up just tailing Miyake-san the entire time in the end?"

"...Yeah, pretty much."

A bitter smile naturally spilled from my lips.

"It's like... I wasn't trying to act out of justice, but what we ended up doing was rooted in suspicion... From Miyake's perspective, this is a seriously creepy story. In the end, we can't justify what we did this time."

Then, Fuyutsuki opened her mouth.

"But, if we had done nothing, she would have remained a 'suspicious person' forever. ...Do you think that would have been fine."

I shook my head side to side.

"No. Seeing it, learning the truth, and finding out there was nothing going on—I think there was meaning in just that. I want to believe there was."

"I guess so... yeah, you might be right, Ryo-chan."

Mio smiled quietly, but Fuyutsuki asked with her usual expressionless face.

"Then, will you continue to keep watch over people as a Disciplinary Committee member. Or, will you oppose the Romance Ban school rule."

"If those are my two choices, I—"

In response to that question, I felt my own words finally, slowly making their appearance from the depths of my throat.