Chapter 2: Honest Deception【P1】
Anza
Why do the things I want always come whenever I do not need them?
I tilt the phone, fighting the glaring sunlight to make out the bare-bones interface. In the corner of the display, an icon already shows it is connected to the school network—outside connectivity seems unlikely.
Figures.
“Is yours the same, Toma?” I shove the screen to the side of his face.
“Hm?” He half-turns with the agonizing slowness of an old man checking the weather. “Oh. Haven’t really looked at it yet. Doubt it matters much for now.” He returns his attention forward, back to the swelling crowd.
“Toma! Stop trying to solo life!” I huff, drumming my foot against the pavement. “Hand me your student ID card already! I want to add your number so we can call in case we lose each other later.”
Without a word, his hand blindly slides out of his pocket, extending the card backward.
I snatch the plastic and tap it against my phone until the device registers it with a short chime. A notification shows up with a success message and a string of numbers.
My very first phone contact! I wonder how many numbers I can pack into this thing…
“Speaking of getting lost,” he mumbles, panning his head like a security camera. “Where exactly did we leave our ticking bomb? Did the EOD already drag Asuka off the island?”
“I thought she was ahead of me, so I just kept moving,” I discreetly slide the card back into his pocket. “Should we start looking for her?”
“Don’t sweat it. She’s probably already detonated on some staff member to find us. She’ll catch up.”
“Maybe once we’re inside, there’s a way to find her, how else do—”
A goosebump-inducing screech cuts me off, tearing from the speakers beneath the stage.
“Students of the fifth year of Kyousei Academy, welcome to the island. I am Headmaster Sato.” A voice rolls over the crowd’s murmurs. “I am honored to be at your service during your time here. Let me—”
It has the tone and cadence of a human, yet a digital filter seems to warp the audio.
“Hey! Anza! TOMA!” a voice shouts into the quieting crowd.
Only one person disregards the volume limits of society at a time like this. An arm sticks out like a mast over the sea of uniforms as Asuka raises her hand, shoving past the students beside us.
“Asuka!” I hiss, caught between relief and irritation. “Where were you!?”
“Total nightmare,” she groans, leaning her weight against my shoulder. “I got the grumpiest desk worker on the entire island. He made me go through this whole process of shipping back my phone before letting me through.”
I stare at her, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you actually tried that.”
“Don’t feed into her drama, Anza,” Toma mutters without turning around.
“It didn’t have to be a drama!” Asuka retorts, crossing her arms. “They clearly told us ‘one bag and whatever you can carry’, so technically—”
“Technically nothing,” I cut in, shaking my head. “You knew exactly what you were getting into.”
“Hey! I was just negotiating. There is no rule against testing them.”
“I thought you were joking when you said you’d—”
“Could you two cut it out already?” Toma chides, hitting us with a sharp side-eye. “Some of us are actually trying to listen to the instructions instead of ‘negotiating’ them.”
I catch myself, noticing the quieter crowd around us.
“Sorry,” I whisper sheepishly with a small nod.
Onto the stage, figures disperse, arranging themselves like chess pieces.
Asuka leans closer with a grin, whispering, “I will tell you all about how he snapped later.”
“...and arrayed before you is the faculty,” the disembodied voice drones on in the background. “They represent your potential advisors. This academy values choice—like deciding who helps shape your future—”
“Wow! How many teachers does this school even have?” I quickly clap a hand over my mouth, only moving my eyes to confirm the back of Toma’s head is still facing me.
“Pffft—they line up more like prison guards getting ready to dish out a beating than teachers.” Asuka mimics their stiff posture, trying to hold in a laugh.
“Then maybe stop drawing their attention to us,” Toma chuckles faintly.
I think he is losing it a bit…
“You know.” He pinches his forehead and looks back at us with a dry smirk. “They go after the mouthiest ones first. And from one fellow inmate to another, you are practically screaming for it.” He clicks his tongue with a wink.
She tosses her hair, looking sideways. “Please. If they wanted to beat us up, they wouldn’t have given us these cute uniforms. I bet the teachers are only standing in because the Headmaster woke up with your weak spine this morning. Toma.”
A twitch breaks his easy smirk.
It looks like he is suppressing whatever comeback he has loaded up, turning back to look straight ahead.
I press my palms against my face to stifle an escaping laugh.
The broadcast keeps pouring over us. “Remember that whoever you choose here today ca—hhHHIIGgh—not be altered later, choose—”
The voice pitches for a split second, a distortion that shatters whatever illusion of warmth remains, pulling my eyes straight back to the giant chessboard.
“Wait,” I whisper, squinting at the platform. “Can you guys actually see who’s talking?”
“No,” Toma says, his head subtly tilting. “There’s no microphone up there. The broadcast is being routed from somewhere else. Whoever is talking isn’t here. They never intended to show their face.”
It is a simple deduction I easily follow, but… “Why do you suppose they felt that was necessary, Toma?”
“Maybe because they sound like a little girl, and otherwise nobody would take them seriously!” Asuka chirps, resting her chin on stacked hands as she sways side to side.
Toma rolls his eyes, drawing a breath. “More likely because—”
“Now listen closely.” The broadcast cuts in, shearing through his words as he chooses to quiet down. “Your devices will prompt you to start the selection process. The profiles contain information each educator chose to share. Remember, they are financially incentivized to earn your partnership.”
Scattered quick hushes blanket the courtyard as people strain to catch the next words.
The filtered voice claims the silence. “Once confirmed, your display will show a clearance key for the gates ahead. Further down the road, the Student President will hold an address at the central plaza. Attendance is at your own discretion. Choose wisely.”
A sharp click echoes through the air and the speakers die.
Before the crowd can find its voice again, a synchronized wave of vibrations ripples across the square as people start grabbing their phones.
I pull mine out, tapping open the fresh notification. It reveals rows of stiff, corporate headshots accompanied by even drier summaries.
“Let’s just pick someone and get moving,” Asuka huffs, already furiously scrolling through her screen. “I want to see the dorms so bad.”
Nothing stands out from the blur of entries, until—
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Discover what happens next in: Chapter 2: Honest Deception【P2】
Written by Limited_Infinity. Extras, official publishing platforms and updates are publicly available only on the Patreon page “_Limited_Infinity_”
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