Chapter 5: Abundant Scarcity【Part 3】
【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.
Masaki
I subtly sniff my shirt. Nothing.
“A-anyway,” I say, quickly steering the conversation away from expensive dinners. “Next time, I’ll handle the cleaning, I promise! And the cooking! Actually... on second thought, I’ll probably spare you from my cooking.”
She laughs softly. “Deal. I value my taste buds, so I accept those terms.”
We finish the rest of our soup in a much more relaxed silence.
Once the bowls are empty, I stand up to gather them. “Since you spent the afternoon scrubbing the place, let me at least handle the cleanup.”
“Wow, a personal butler. I struck gold,” she teases, stretching her arms above her head with a yawn.
The water runs warm as I rinse the bowls in the compact sink, letting the rhythmic chore wash away the remaining tension of the day. After setting them on the drying rack, I wipe down the counter, grab my change of clothes from my bag, and head straight for the bathroom.
“I’m going to take a quick shower,” I say, tossing the words over my shoulder.
She hums a vague response, already deep in thought as she flips through a book on her bed.
I step inside the cramped bathroom and shut the door, the click of the lock finally cutting off the outside world. Leaning against the sink, I look at my tired reflection in the mirror.
Luxury food. An obnoxious student president. Clubs. A faceless headmaster. And a campus that looks like a high-end resort…
I turn on the faucet, letting the steady hiss of hot water fill the stall with steam to cleanse my thoughts away. Whatever it all means, it can wait until tomorrow.
Right now, I just want to sleep.
Sayoko
The liquid sloshes rhythmically inside the bottle swaying in front of me. I follow her pace, clearing the final flight of wooden stairs.
Click.
She steps to the railing, facing the open distance ahead. The evening breeze catches her hair, sending strands whipping past her shoulders.
“Tell me,” Kirishima says, her voice carrying over the wind. “Why stand here, instead of exploring your new dormitory or celebrating with friends?”
“Exponential growth,” I reply without pause. “I must start immediately to gain the advantage. Conventional methods only guarantee a spot next to the rest.”
I step beside her, turning around so our backs face each other. The taut fabric of the umbrella taking the brunt of the wind.
A sharp breath escapes her—a faint scoff. “Ambition.” Her voice trails higher into the sky. “This school… it’s both the problem and the solution.”
“A perfect position,” I interject. “Free to choose which side benefits you the most, whenever you want.”
“Pfft—you think they’d just let you do that?”
She removes the cap of the bottle, taking a quick, sloshing sip. “This school’s structure saves the nation a conservative one hundred billion yen per year. That freed capital allows innovation no other high school could dream of.”
I remain silent, parsing her words for any hidden hints.
“But a power like that requires a hand to direct it.” She pauses, letting a strong gust pass first. “Use it for others, and you elevate people who could never escape on their own. Use it for yourself, and you hold the largest shovel to bury them deeper.”
“Tell me. Who. Holds it.”
“Dismissing the student president was an oversight,” she replies, smoothly evading the command. “He acts as the vital bridge between the school administration and the student body.”
“That boy is a husk. He will be disposed of by whoever put him there the moment his meager utility drains. I see no reason to include him in the equation.”
“He is far from the ultimate authority in the district,” she concedes. The glass bottle clinks against the metal railing. “But if you expect to achieve anything without his cooperation, you will swim against the stream.”
“I am looking for an edge that outlasts the rumors of the week. Not someone who can be dissolved at the whim of the crowd.”
“Days, actually.” She corrects me subtly, her voice carrying a dry edge over the wind. “Unlike weekly voting cycles, a presidential impeachment can be triggered at any second of the day, all year round. You don’t seem fond of Hasumi, yet he operates under a terrifying mountain of pressure.”
“Yes, yes. A tragic hero,” I mutter. “But who is it that I am actually looking for?” Silence stretches between us. The wind howls, straining against the taut fabric of the umbrella.
“The people.”
I let out a heavy sigh, rolling my eyes at the sky. “Please.”
“The one who holds the power is the one who can live outside the election cycles while still organizing the masses,” she continues, unbothered by my reaction. “There is a reason why, for example, the theater club remains one of the greatest voting blocs in the district.”
“And if one does not want to rely on what the crowd thinks?”
“The logistics group. The Bankers Club. Certain ministries. Factions that everyone relies on no matter what.”
Behind me, threads grind together as she twists the bottle cap, sealing it shut with a final, sharp sound.
“If you seek a single entity holding absolute power, your search ends in failure.” Her tone drops to a cold, flat hum. “It is their network—their constant friction—that makes them truly powerful.”
“Well.” I chirp up as I start moving to the stairs again to make my leave. “And here I was hoping you were just going to tell me who holds the baton. I suppose I will just have to keep my head low so I don’t get hit by it for now.”
Silence follows me.
Click.
“Miss Kirishima, I am sure we will meet again. Soon.”
She does not follow me downstairs. I doubt she even looked back at all. Instead, I can just picture her still standing out there on the roof as I move out of the building, looking down on me.
Click.
From her vantage point, she would probably be staring down at the shrinking dot below her now.
Miss Kirishima, you surely do not like to disappoint, do you? She is playing it safe, for now. But her potential is as immense as I had anticipated.
I should really try to weigh her words more carefully moving forward though. She brushes them off as casual remarks, yet every word is carefully coated with hidden intent. Combining my earlier findings with what she just told me will take some time to piece together. Especially how she phrased—
“Sayooooo!”
A high-pitched chirp. Loud. Piercingly loud.
Click.
Like a drawn sword—I whip the folded piece behind me, my body twisting a beat behind its momentum.
“Do you have any concept of time—because your volume suggests otherwise. Don’t blast my name across the street like that, Fukimi.”
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Discover what happens next in: Chapter 6: Planned Regret【Part 1】
Written by Limited_Infinity. Official publishing platforms and updates are exclusively communicated on Bluesky: @Limited-Infinity
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