Chapter 10: My Future Current【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.
Nene
“You know, these modern phones have a magical little toggle on the side. Flick it down, and the volume disappears—poof.”
“You did not…”
“You really should store your possessions in a safer spot if you’re so touchy about your privacy.”
“You absolute—”
My hand shoots down instinctively to check my jeans. I fish out my staff ID card and shove it into my breast pocket—well out of gremlin-swiping height.
“Tell me, who exactly were you expecting just now? Do you really only have one contact number in your entire phone?” she prompts.
I freeze, calculating my next words.
“Oh, analyzing my social life now, are you?” I puff out my chest, leaning into an overly dramatic tone. “Well, for your information, I happen to have plenty of friends. In fact, I was just with one of my best friends, having the absolute time of my life!”
“Don’t play games with me. What kind of idiot answers a phone call from an unknown number with ‘Why are you calling’? Unless…” the voice deepens. “That idiot picks up so blindly because they only have one contact number to expect a call from?”
“Well, I assume you didn’t call for that.” I grumble. “Spit out your deranged reason for this call, then we can both be on our way and pretend this all never happened —like how you TRESPASSED INTO MY PERSONAL SPACE, AGAIN!”
The audio muffles with a distant rustle again.
“Yes. Space. Walls. Very interesting.” the voice returns flatly. “Anyway, Miss Kirishima. Hypothetically speaking... if one were to rid themselves of someone on this island, how exactly would that be done?”
My throat tightens.
“L-legally?” I stumble, already wondering if this single word makes me an accomplice.
“What? Who cares about that—”
Before I become legally liable, I start crinkling a stray piece of paper near the mic. “krrr—the connection is dropping sorry—”
“I can hear you perfectly fine, Miss Kirishima. Your voice cleared up the exact second you stopped making those ridiculous noises just now. Get to the point.”
I throw the crumbled ball of paper back on the ground.
Worth a shot.
“Look, I don’t even know what you’re asking, and I don’t want to either—I want to keep my record clean.”
“Surely this is not an uncommon thing for you? I cannot be the first one paired with an animal in this school.”
My eyes track upward as the gears in my head finally lock into place.
I scoff with a grin. “Couldn’t you just slap him around with your umbrella to make him fall in line? I assume you don’t hesitate—”
“I tried that.”
“Come again?”
“How. Do. I. Remove. Him,” she enunciates, every word dripping with venom.
“Um. Have you tried the ministry —“
“—of Wallpapers and Doors. Yes. They were exactly as helpful as you are being right now.”
I rub my temples. How did I get dragged into roommate mediation? “Well, you’re out of luck then. This school practically never expels anyone. In fact, there hasn’t been a single case in history.” “WHAT?”
The receiver screeches, making me pull the phone away a bit.
“No wonder this place is filled with so much mud.”
“To trigger an expulsion, you have to submit a vote for it,” I say, slowly bringing the phone back to my ear. “Then, you need a unanimous vote from every single person on this island, excluding the target. You can see why this has never been done.” “What idiot designed such a system?”
“Well, if you’re desperate, there’s a nuance. Historically, just initiating the vote sometimes places enough psychological pressure on the person. But fifteen to thirty percent in favor of expulsion seems to be minimum that marks the mental tipping point where most leave voluntarily.”
“...So there is a chance…” is the only thing I can pick up from her scheming mumbles, “Don’t get your hopes up. People rarely call for those votes, and it’s usually for real troublemakers who threaten the school’s stability—not for unwanted roommates.” “Yes. Words keep coming out of your mouth, but they all keep repeating the same thing: there is a chance…” she briefly snaps out of her mumbling.
“W-what? Are you even listening?”
“No.”
“The voting system isn’t some magic button for roommate drama! It’s incredibly risky. Submissions are public and trust me, it rarely ends well for the person who publicly tries to exile someone, especially if the whole thing fails!”
“Miss Kirishima…” she murmurs.
“…No?”
“How does a school with a prestigious reputation allow that name be tarnished by such an inefficient creature?” she sighs.
My left eyelid spasms, twitching more violently than before.
“YOU KNOW WHAT? FINE! DO IT! SUBMIT THE VOTE AND GET YOUR SMALL—”
Jiro
I return phone back on its holster.
‘6h 32m’
“And?” Gaku asks.
“She says she already met ‘lots of new friendly people.’” My shoulders sag.
“Yeah, that’s about what she told me…” He shifts his weight, looking down at his shoes.
“She is the only person from our region who wasn’t selected.” I look straight at him, unblinking. “Everyone who failed the cut is supposed to be at that high school. But she hasn’t run into a single familiar face.”
“I know. Guess forty-nine high school students in our district isn’t enough to fill a high school these days.” A short scoff escapes his throat.
“I am going to the school administration. I’ll demand to trade places with her.”
“Don’t be stupid. The school year has already started.”
“I am the stupid one! If I just called her before we boarded for the island, I could have offered up my spot! We could have switched!”
He places a hand on my shoulder. “That’s just not how the system works, man.”
“Damn it!” I slam my fist onto the desk. “I will make it work!”
My breathing lives a life of its own. I can’t get it under control.
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Discover what happens next in: Chapter 10: My Future Current【Part 4】
Written by Limited_Infinity. Extras, official publishing platforms and updates are publicly available only on the Patreon page “_Limited_Infinity_”
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