Chapter 4: Voluntarily Forced【Part 2】
【言語に関するご注意 / Language Notice】本作はすべて、英語と英語の表現で書かれています。翻訳作品ではなく、オリジナルの英語ライトノベルです。あらかじめご了承の上、作品をお楽しみください。
See chapter one for the main author's note.
Sayoko
Click.
Pointing the ferrule forward, I casually poke the mass in the general vicinity of its back, swirling the blunt tip into the fabric.
A low, pathetic groan escapes the shifting gelatinous form.
To an outsider, the rhythmic sloshing motions mimic a therapeutic massage—a stark reminder of how looks can deceive.
“Wakey, wakey,” I chime, increasing the speed of my probes to churn the puddle. “I require the information currently residing inside that brain of yours—assuming it is still floating around in there. Business awaits.”
“Go away...” a muffled voice wheezes into the counter. “I require absolute silence when dying...”
Ordinarily, my saint-like patience prevails. But today, my schedule has suffered enough damage.
A practiced motion sends the rod rising above the heap. It hovers for a beat of theatrical tension.
Then slams down with the speed of a guillotine.
Thwack!
The shape erupts upward like a prehistoric lizard crying out for battle. A spine snaps into place and a jaw unhinges to gasp for oxygen. The evolutionary gap rapidly closing back to the human species.
She scrambles upright, frantically pulling the bottle closer to her chest. “W-What! Who—”
Click.
“Lovely evening, is it not?” My lips curve into a radiant smile.
Her eyes narrow into a deadpan stare. They track above my face—though I am not sure why—before landing on her glass.
She reaches for it, taking a slow, defensive sip. “And who the hell are you?”
“Sayoko. And you must be Miss Kirishima, are you not?”
“There’s a probability to that, I suppose.” She avoids my eye contact, staring into the glass. “People around these parts know better than to disturb me when I am out drinking.”
“Yes, I must applaud the meticulous way you display yourself to the world. But you should really be more careful with such blatant facades. Hollow threats are empty for a reason.”
“Threats?”
“Come now. How much alcohol do you think the government can stomach to be imported to an island filled with high school students hm?”
“Hmph. You kids these days have absolutely no respect. I’m not a piñata for your amusement.” She groans, rubbing her lower back.
“I assure you, I am capable of respect. But let us just say my observations today allowed me to readjust my baseline. Nobody will bat an eye over a little corrective motivation—except maybe you.”
Thud.
As if trying to hammer a nail, she slams the glass onto the wood. “Watch it, will you? Everywhere you stand in this district counts as school grounds. I could have you in detention for your sheer arrogance before tomorrow morning.”
She returns the glass to her lips, seeking its comfort after their the fleeting separation.
“Oh?” I lean a bit closer, my voice dropping to a whisper. “Tell me, Miss Kirishima. Why is it that the only adults I have encountered inside this district so far were a handful of teachers and a stray electrician fixing a streetlight? A mere coincidence, perhaps?”
She huffs into her empty glass, offering no other entertainment.
An amused chuckle escapes my lips. “Surely the higher-ups did not abandon a prestigious educator here to wallow in the slums with the peasants?”
Her cheek drops into her palm as she lets out a soft sigh. “You... are not going to leave me alone, are you?”
“I never had a shadow of a doubt,” I say, making the umbrella dome twirl over my shoulder, “that this academy only recruits the most talented teachers.”
“Then why come to me with all this? Can’t you go bother some other faculty member, or maybe just town hall with your eager first-year questions? I am not a tour guide.”
“What could they tell me that is not already public knowledge? But my advisor who uses loud words and hidden actions to mask her intentions? You are far more likely to possess what I am looking for.”
“Don’t tell me you—”
Sliding the phone from my pocket, I turn the screen toward her to display my student profile.
[Advisor: Nene Kirishima]
A serene smile graces my face. “I am sure this will not be our last talk, do you not agree?”
Pocketing the phone, I lean back in. “Now, where—”
Her exhaustion vanishes, replaced by a sharp focus that validates my hypothesis in an instant.
“What are you?”
“That depends on whether you choose to work with me. Or against me.”
She locks her gaze onto mine, drilling into my eyes only to dull the bit against my wall of certainty before turning forward again.
“You don’t have many friends... do you?”
“A charming attempt at social analysis. I was not made aware consultations were open at this hour, let alone in… this place. Or will you surprise me and claim it is the intoxication from that suspiciously clear drink—that surely could not be contraband—talking? A regular indulgence?
“Glacia-9 Prima,” she corrects dryly. “The best water in the district, and a nightmare to import.”
Around us, the music fades beneath the incoming storm of a fresh crowd filtering into the venue. The rising noise only isolates the silence in our corner.
“Tell me,” I press, stepping into the pocket of quiet. “Who are the forces that actually wield the greatest power in this district?”
She stays silent.
Swirling ice clinks against glass as her fingers trace the rim, avoiding my stare.
“…The Student President, I guess…”
“Please.” I scoff softly. “My silence is assured—just as having me around will be worth your while.”
The internal machinery grinds away behind those eyes, though it is hard to fathom what requires that much calculation. Then, her blank expression cracks into an opportunistic smirk.
“Tell you what,” she chirps, sliding her glass to me. “You pay for my next round, and I will give you a glimpse of what you want to know. Sound like a deal?”
“Are you suggesting bribery? In public, no less?”
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Discover what happens next in: Chapter 4: Voluntarily Forced【Part 3】
Written by Limited_Infinity. Official publishing platforms and updates are exclusively communicated on Bluesky: @Limited-Infinity
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